Opposable Thumbs —

A man afraid to run away: Ars reviews inFamous

The demo was good, and the full game is a powerful experience in what it is to …

I hate being the bad guy in games—I never harvested a single Little Sister in my time with Bioshock—so I was delighted when I found out you could take areas of the city back from the gangs and make them safe for both yourself and the random citizens in the game. Even better, when the areas are safe, people begin to clean up and take the city back. The more you play, and the more you interact the people, the more the city will rebuild in your image, for good or ill.

I'm trying to stay away from discussing story missions, as this is a game that does best when you explore the story on your own time, but inFamous does a good job of keeping the side missions interesting. Sure, there is some repetition, but not nearly as much as was seen in the newer Spider-Man games or other open-world environments. Every now and again something novel will be thrown your way, and you'll also get the added satisfaction of making the streets safer, if you choose the good path.

Edna Mode said it best: NO CAPES!

Your powers will grow as you go into the sewers and turn the power stations back on—which is an annoying task that often includes jumping puzzles, and platforms over water. As always, water and electricity don't mix. These sections are tolerable just because you'll always gain something cool out of them, but they don't add much to the game.

Combat can also be somewhat frustrating at times, as enemies can easily overwhelm you with fire coming from every direction. This isn't a game where you can blindly attack a fortified position. Mix in gangs of similar enemies and you have some frustrating situations.

The good things far outweigh the bad, though. Attacking armored enemy trucks and finding the correct way to take them down? Thrilling. Riding on top of a bus your girl helpfully wired with a generator to fuel your attacks is likewise awesome, and an oddly touching moment. The writing and character of the game are just as good as the action, and will keep you interested in the relationships the story is built around. Normally comic-book style cut-scenes feel like a way to save money on animation, but in this case, with this subject matter, they work perfectly, and are used in exactly the right amount.

You can decide to collect glass shards to increase the amount of electricity you can hold at once, or track down the game's "dead drops," audio files attached to satellite dishes that tell their own story. Sometimes a citizen will run up to you and ask for help. It's not a mission, it won't move the game forward, so it's merely something that happens in the game. Ignore them or do something heroic; it's your choice. Merely existing in the city, and dealing with situations as they come up—screaming around the rooftops or gliding over the elevated train tracks—is a thrill. This is a superhero game with soul and gameplay to spare.

There is something about inFamous that's decidedly adult and satisfying, and not in the "OMG BOOBIES" way. This is a what-if story about a city with no hope and a man who has been taken out of his life to do something about it. An absolute must-buy.

The good

Detailed, living city to help rebuild, or continue to destroy

Brilliant writing and character work

Fun superpowers

Cut scenes set the mood of the game very well

Much to do and explore, this isn't a game that will be over soon

Be a hero, be a villain, it's your choice

Fresh take on the genre, Cole is a unique and compelling hero

Solid variety in missions

The bad

The enemies can be repetitive

Sewer sections are annoying

Combat can get frustrating in places

The ugly

We live in a world where dreck like X-Men Origins: Wolverine makes it onto the big screen, and something as good as inFamous is created in a medium barely respected for its storytelling